The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-12-07
A STAMPEDE
Terrible Experience OF Hunter on
the Platte River.

faloesY NoY Wen, the man VINO mas
seen one and lived to tell OF it, has
witnessed spectacle to be wildly
remembered all his days. A stampede
was q common occurrence in the life OF
every Western hunter twenty years
ago, but hide hunters haven't left q
score OF the animals alive.
During my time have had several
close shaves from stampedes, but a
little the closest call | ever got wa -
the means OF saving my life. 1t was
in 1867, and pretty near on the line
between Kansas and Nebraska, at a
point between the Republican and
Solomon rivers. There was q famous
grazlngground for the buffalo, andthere
he was left undisturbed, except by the
Indians, who killed only when they
wanted meat. have seen herds IN
that country which numbered up to
100000 and which covered the
prairie as far as the eye could see.
What creates q stampede? Moth
ing-anythng. While the buffalo is
born in wild state, and ought to get
accustomed to storms, the sight OF
wolves and all kinds of noises, he IS
the most timid animal on earth. l
have lseen the coming up OF q dark
cloud stampede 10000 buffaloes. |
have known the howl of the wolf to
set big herd in mo- ton. A flash OF
lightning or clap of thunder seemed
to scare them to death, although you
would argue that they would get used
to it, And once started nothing but
n mountain could turn the great wave
aside, and only exhaustion would
bring them back to their senses. Aft
err Ia herd had fairly started, terror
seemed to shave taken possession OF
them, and it was the devil seize the
last one. Then it was woe to the
pioneer or hunter who happened to
be in their path without grove
to shelter him. saw, in 1867, on the
Loup Fork OF the Platte river, an en-
igrant camp which had been run over
by stampede. There had been seven
wagons and twenty.four people, with
about thirty head OF horses and cat
tie. The rushing, terror stricken herd
struck the camp Just at daybreak, and
was fifteen or twenty minutes passing.
Only one human being escaped-a man
who was caraied of on the back OF O
buffalo and left at spot ten miles
away. Not an animal was left, not
yehicle escaped destruction. saw the
sight of the camp about noon OF that
Hay, and there wasn't piece OF any
of the heavy wagons which / could
not have carried off under my arm.
The people had been trampled into
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES out.
The remains could scarcely be recog-
hized as those OF human beings.
} But to my own adventure. There
were four hunters OF us in the locality
spoken OF, killing various kinds of
game, and doing little trapping, and,
though there were plenty OF redskins
in that country, they did not get to
us for week. We had camp on a
small run or creek, with grove OF
about q dozen trees for shelter, and
about two miles to the north was a
spring and another grove. The In
dams hadn't got hold OF the Winches- !
tiers, and knew nothing OF revolvers in
those days, and war party OF less
than twenty-five would have hesitat-
ed to attack four hunters. We kept |
eyes open, however, and one was on
the watch while the other three slept.
We had been in camp nine or ten
days, and constantly SUR ounded by
buffaloes, when one afternoon just be-
fore sunset it was apparent from the
actions OF the animals that something
was in Che wind. The detachments
were consolidated, all stray bulls
Joined the herds, and almost |
every buffalo ceased feeding and acted |
anxiously and i'll at ease. That meant |
Indians. Curious as you may think |
it, the presence OF Indians will disturb |
the buifaloes sooner. than that OF the |
white man. We couldn't say whether |
it was a war party hanging around to |
attack us, or a hunting party hover
ing on the TANKS OF the great herd, but |
we made all preparations that night |
60 defend ourselves.
/ have spoken OF the second grove. |
II was composed OF few stunted cot
tonwoods, and was in on sense "a shell
ter. Now this is what happened dur
ing the night. A war party OF thirty
five Indians took up their position in
this little grove, calculating to sweep |
down on us at daylight and carry our
camp by storm. Along toward day
light they mounted and rode softly |
down to within a quarter OF mile OF
us. and there waited for day break.
They would not be observed by the
senteniel, but would make a rush and
carry the camp. Well, it was just
coming dav and five minutes more |